St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1887-11-26
wild BECKY"
How She Improved Herself and
Her Friends.

folks # Millville were proud of over
and above the new organ in their
''meet;n' house it was the Millville
Boarding School, which capped the
very highest pinnacle of their village.
a light set upon hill. which shed its
literary radiance over the whole place.
Cynthia Adams was the only day.
scholar. but she was the squire
daughter, and it was . matter of course
that her schooling should be something
beyond that of the rest of the village
girls.
One day. as the scholars were hang.
ing over the school-yard fence. or, sit
ting in groups on the steps. waiting
for the school-bell to ring. they heard
a man with a lusty pair of lungs shout
ing '.Gee-haw. git up thar! in . voice
so loud that it threatened to shake the
hills.
That is one of old miller whispers.
do believe" laughed Cynthia. ''He' s
q farmer about here with . roaring
voice. Such queer fellow rs he is.
to be sure. wish you girls could see
him"
Il wish 1 mightr' answered fun-lov-
ing Millie King.
s-DOes he live far from here?'
'.His house is way down>by the edge
OF the town, beyond the pine wood;
they call the place Biscuit City"
why? Because they have so many
biscuit there?" asked . dozen voices
at once.
Cynthia shook her head.
Il guess it is because they don't
have Them" she SAID; perhaps they
wish they did, and 50 call it that. All l
really know about it il that there does
not seem to be any one there to cook
much. anyway; for Farmer Miller lives
alone with his granddaughter. . girl
about our age"
Couldn't she make biscuit?" per-
sisted Millie. unwilling to gve up the
idea that they abounded in Biscuit
City.
Becky! I'd like to see any thing
decent that Wild Becky could make.
No one in the village will have any
thing to do with her. for she's such .
wild, harum-scarum thing. and 80
green. too, that you'd mistake her for
grass, just Is likely as not"
Cynthia stopped abruptly, for the
'Gee-haw" sounded nearer every
moment and now pair of oxen came
numbering over the brow of the hill.
followed by = rickety haycart, At the
end of which was poised . bare-headed
young person in cloud of dust. Her
ample bonnet swung from the top OF
one of the poles which formed the sides
ofthc cart, evidently for the purpose
of proving to the pasers-by that she
possessed the article. though she did
not choose to wear it. She looked up
Ut it rather wistfully. however, as her
champion. Farmer Miller, with thunder
ing exclamations, drove the cart up to
the school-honse gate.
''Pile out, Becky" he roared, ''and
We'll soon fix it up with 'em here.
Don't be skeered. gal. Be you the
schoolmarm?"
The question was addressed to Miss
Peters. the principal. who, at this
juncture. came politely forward.
Il haven't much learnin' myself.
ma'am," he continued. ..but I'm bound
sAhnA AAAy KALI uClCs Shall u0N0 - SVOo q
chance rs the rest of 'em. She's .
good gal. Becky is. only tritle Wild
like. and needs settlin' bit I'm q
better hand at settlin' bills than lively
young creatures like this one; % il
you'll tend to one I'll tend to t'other. :"
and handing the poor girl over, tum-
bling her bonnet after her. he was
halfway down the hill before Wild
Becky had made up her mind whether
she would be settled or not.
II was very disagrecable standing
there with all the girls staring At her.
she thought; and. glancing shyly out
from under her long lashes. her eyes
rested gladly on the familiar features
of the squire's daughter.
"how do. Cvnthia?" she said. nod
ding in such . civil way that it sur
prised herself.
Cynthia looked blankly into her face
moment without making the slightest
sign OF recognition. then. wheeling
around on her heels, she turned her
back squarely upon her. A litter went
around the yard. Every one seemed
amused but poor Becky, who shut her
mouth tightly, and her heart, too, for
that matter. and hated her kind. As
she joined the crowd squeezing into
the school-house she wondered why
she had ever consented to Be brought
to school. The old Wild life per
fecily contented her. To roll
about for hours under the wide
spread oaks. with friendly squirrels.
or to chase the brook - it dashed gayly
down the hills, vas plsasanter than The
society cfgirls. she had always thought.
But the fact was her grandfather had
taken II intO hia dear elA Had to n~ n